


Starting A New Chapter

by sevtacular



Category: Holby City
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bookstore, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Service Dogs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-24
Updated: 2017-08-24
Packaged: 2018-12-19 12:47:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11898048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sevtacular/pseuds/sevtacular
Summary: Serenity is all it says in a swirling font, alongside a small note in capital letters claiming INDEPENDENT BOOKSELLER proudly.





	Starting A New Chapter

**Author's Note:**

> So I had an idea and this unedited thing happened. Enjoy, I guess.

Starting A New Chapter

Major Berenice Griselda Wolfe is the embodiment of a lonely old war veteran. Thanks to a life of not really caring about her circumstances she found herself at a loss of what to do when she retired so lives in a ground floor studio flat with her service dog Cameron. She tries to get out and about to keep herself mobile but is never quite sure what to do with herself. 

She tries going to the library but doesn’t have a card. The person behind the desk kindly offers to help her fill it out but their tone of voice is patronising and Bernie knows she is being judged because of her disability. Still, she shuffles her way in with Cameron at her side and settles into a quiet corner with the first murder mystery book which she lays her hands on. It isn’t very good but it’s bearable enough that she’s got through over half of it before she realises that she’s hungry so she stashes the book behind some others on a shelf nearby and thinks she’ll return to finish it after some lunch. She and Cam make their way to the café next to the library and she gets a sandwich for herself and offers Cam some of the biscuits from her pocket. Too many people glance over at her curiously whilst she’s eating so she glowers at them all and leaves as soon as she can.

Back at the library, she’s almost finished the book and is certain she knows who the murderer is because it hasn’t been written all that well. Suddenly a whole crowd of infants descends onto the space to make their way to the after school craft and creativity club in the children’s section. Bernie dislikes their noisiness and Cam gets restless at their shouts and yells about the Gruffalo and Room on the Broom. She tries to ignore them and finishes the frankly awful book (she had guessed the murderer correctly, it was far too obvious). However, her luck is not in because part of the after school club appears to be a treasure hunt around the shelves and a little cluster of children find her and start to fawn over Cameron. She tries to tell them that he’s a working service dog and so shouldn’t be petted, but they won’t listen and ruffle his ears and prod his stomach until she’s really not sure how to get rid of them. 

More and more of them appear to arrive until Bernie is certain the entirety of Holby’s children are surrounding her and her dog, trapping her into her chair with no way to escape and only a terrible murder mystery novel for company. She knows she’s starting to stress and attempts to calm her breathing so she doesn’t overreact in front of these young minds but it’s difficult when in their clamour to see the dog inside the library these children are massively invading her personal space. The final straw comes when one of the older and more boisterous children pushes to the front to see Cameron and slams another child into Bernie’s still healing leg, sore from the IED blast which led to her medical retirement. At such a strong blow to his owner, Cameron rises and growls at them in warning. This sends the children scattering in fear down other aisles and Bernie takes the moment to escape back home so she can attempt to calm herself down in the comfort of her tiny flat.

She’s never going back to the library again, she decides. She’s not sure where she will go (or where she even wants to go) instead but she knows that she cannot face the potential tirade of so many infants again. In the end, she stays inside her small flat for a week, only leaving to walk up and down the street outside for a while to give Cameron a bit of exercise. No matter how down she feels about herself she would never let her dog suffer as a result of her demons.

She finally decides to walk into the town centre, mainly out of a necessity to get some cheese because the supermarket forgot to add it into her online order. The supermarket itself is too far for her to walk to (and would be too expensive in a taxi) so she thinks she’ll see if a smaller shop or deli has any to offer. While she’s on her way home trying to avoid the stares members of the public throw at her she notices a shop which catches her eye. Inside the window a string of lights twinkles around displays of books and posters and gifts. Its sign is made of wood and painted with gold paint, giving it a timelessly classic effect. Serenity is all it says in a swirling font, alongside a small note in capital letters claiming INDEPENDENT BOOKSELLER proudly. Bernie goes home with her cheese and decides that she might just go into the small bookshop one day.

One day turns out to be three days later because it rains too heavily for her to go out and about the subsequent days. She walks into the centre of town and pushes the door of the little shop open to be greeted by warmth and an instant feeling of safety. She very much doubts that any children will be pestering her here. She and Cam walk into the store and gaze at the pretty book displays and aisles filled with all kinds of reading material. As she ventures further back she realises that the shop is bigger than it appears on the outside, stretching right to the back of the building with a mezzanine level to the back which appears to house the books for children. Bernie stays on the ground floor and finds herself unsure what to do now she’s in. She knows independent booksellers are slightly pricier than their chain branch counterparts and knows she can’t afford to just buy a book and leave every day. Feeling a little guilty, she picks up a random book and settles into a comfy chair close to the back of the building where she begins to read with Cameron curled at her feet.

The book she selected turns out to be a huge tome on World War Two which she finds immersive and interesting. She doesn’t realise quite how immersed in it she’s been until she’s drawn out of it by a woman placing a bowl of water in front of Cam whilst giving his ears a friendly ruffle. Bernie, feeling a bit guilty, hands him some of the treats from her pocket which he gobbles up appreciatively. The woman smiles and holds out her hand.  
“Serena Campbell.” Bernie blushes and feels like she’s been caught out using the woman’s shop as a library substitute. She thinks Serena must be the owner of the shop, the independent bookseller the sign on the front proclaims.  
“Uh… Nice to meet you, um. Sorry. Me and Cam will just get out of your way. Ah, um. Sorry.” She feels a fool stumbling over her words like a cadet but the woman just smiles and Bernie can’t help but notice how beautiful she is. She waves a hand dismissively and looks at her wristwatch.  
“Technically I closed up shop ten minutes ago but since you’ve been so little trouble all afternoon I thought I’d offer your dog here some water and you can have a cup of tea if you’d like.” Bernie can’t believe that this woman is being so kind to her. Serena is everything Bernie doesn’t deserve in life but wants more than anything else.  
“That, um. That would be nice. Milk no sugar please.” 

She drinks her tea then makes awkward excuses to leave with Cam. She gets home feeling much brighter than she has in days simply from making small talk with a bookseller. Bernie vows that Serenity can be her new safe haven. She falls asleep dreaming of brown eyes and the smell of new books.

Bernie becomes a regular fixture in her back corner of Serenity, often staying past closing time to chat with Serena over a cup of tea. She feels terrible about the fact that she’s not yet bought a single book but has managed to read several. Serena even starts leaving books on the shelf by the chair which she thinks Bernie might like, and a bowl of water beside it for Cameron. Bernie thinks she is dangerously close to falling in love with Serena, and knows that if she’s being honest with herself it’s already happened.

Serena shares little bits of information about herself over tea. She’s divorced and has a daughter named Elinor and a rescue cat named Jason. She lives in the attic rooms above the shop which she promises Bernie are quite cosy should she ever go up to see them. Bernie can only nod and hope that one day she will be able to manage the steps with the support of Cam. She’s single from what Bernie can understand, though Bernie tries not to get her hopes up too highly. Serena is a goddess and Bernie a mere worshipper of her beauty and kindness. Serena is the only member of staff in the bookshop, the singular independent bookseller. Serena gradually opens up about her mother Adrienne who left her the money to open the shop with when she died. Before that, Serena had worked in libraries and bookstores both in England and France. Bernie’s glad that out of all the places Serena set up shop she chose here in Holby where Bernie could find her.

The boiler goes in Bernie’s flat and her rubbish landlord is impossible to get hold of. She tries to keep the chill at bay with extra blankets and layers but her body still aches, even when Cameron sprawls himself over her to keep her warm. Serena notices her leaning more heavily on Cam and questions her about her state of health. Bernie explains her sorry state of affairs and Serena offers her a sympathetic look.  
“So stay here then.” She says it as if it is the simplest solution in the world and Bernie can only look at her incredulously.  
“In the shop?”  
“No you idiot, in my flat upstairs. It might take you a while to get up there, mind. But I can promise you it’s got a fully working boiler.” Bernie agrees readily, she doesn’t care how hard the stairs may be to climb. She’d scale Everest if it meant spending more time with Serena. 

Serena drives them over to Bernie’s flat, Cameron in the back of her car. She looks around as Bernie lets them in so she can collect some clothes and toiletries and dog food for Cam. Even though she’s not yet seen Serena’s flat she knows it will be considerably nicer than her cheap dwelling which smells slightly of damp and contains the furniture it came with. 

It doesn’t take long for her to pack and then they’re driving back to Serena’s. All too soon Bernie is struggling her way up to the mezzanine level of the shop, leaning on the bannister and Serena whilst Cam waits at the top. From there, they go through a door marked for staff only and into a stockroom filled with boxes of books and gifts. A door in there leads to the narrower set of stairs which lead up to Serena’s home. Bernie has to manage on her own, gripping the handrail and the wall, and by the time she reaches the top where Cameron waits she’s panting quite heavily. She berates herself for being so weak, remembers a time when she could carry huge packs up mountains and across deserts. Serena guides her to a small sofa and places her bag next to it. She goes over to the kitchen area and makes them a cup of tea each. A grey cat comes and eyes her warily before jumping onto the armchair opposite. Cam gives him an interested sniff and then settles by the coffee table. As the throbbing subsides and she stares at Serena through the steam rising off her mug her heart clenches and she feels more at home than she has for years.

They eat some stew which Serena has had in the slow cooker all day and then retire for the night. Bernie can only see one door to what she assumes is the bedroom and one for the bathroom so she gestures to the sofa.  
“Do you have a blanket I could borrow?” Serena looks incredulous.  
“Bernie I’m not having you crash on my sofa like a drunken student. No, you can sleep in my room.” Bernie’s heart momentarily stops.  
“With you?”  
“Well yes. The bed is plenty big enough and I have a wonderful mattress. I think we can manage, don’t you?” Bernie thinks it will be a masterclass of self-restraint but nods anyway.

Bernie wakes up feeling warm and safe. She’s comfortable and cosy and has no recollection of falling asleep whereas normally she tosses and turns for what seems like hours before falling into a fitful slumber. As consciousness slowly claims her Bernie realises that Serena is curled into her side, their feet intertwined and their breathing matching. She has no way of leaving the bed without waking the woman in it with her so instead Bernie allows herself to bask in the moment of waking to having Serena Campbell in her arms. 

Serena eventually stirs and Bernie expects her to move away when she realises where she is. Instead, Serena smiles lazily up at her and strokes Bernie’s fringe away from her face before placing a barely there kiss to her cheek.   
“Good morning, soldier.” Serena’s voice is husky with sleep and Bernie is completely endeared to it. Serena rolls out of bed and into the main space of the flat whilst Bernie dresses herself before making her way through to be welcomed by a cup of coffee which Serena has brewed. 

Bernie doesn’t leave the shop all day, but she feels like she can’t spend an entire day sat in her corner whilst Serena works so asks for something to do. Serena sits her at the counter, says she can read as much as she pleases as she’s giving Serena chance to restock some shelves and make some new displays. It’s a task Bernie finds herself enjoying. Serenity doesn’t have a huge volume of customers but there’s a steady enough stream of students and businesspeople and families who enter into the charming shop. They smile at her and ask after Serena and Bernie smiles and informs them that she’s still in the building, just catching up on some admin tasks. Bernie finds that she even doesn’t mind when some children ask their parents if they can pat Cam who is dozing behind the counter with her. Bernie nods her assent and Cam licks at their gentle fingers as they giggle and call him a good dog. At midday, Serena asks Bernie if she’ll pop to the bakery on the high street for a sandwich for her. Bernie agrees and returns not just with the sandwich but also a vanilla slice which Serena eyes in amusement before biting into and moaning at the taste. Bernie squeezes her thighs together and averts her eyes from the sight because it’s too much for her to handle.

When the shop closes for the day Bernie follows Serena back up to the attic flat and they eat together again with Cam and Jason curled up on the sofa. They fall into bed together and once again Bernie drifts off almost immediately. The next day, she wakes with Serena in her arms once more.

They fall into an easy domesticity together. They wake together and eat together and run the shop together before falling asleep once more. Some days Bernie will stay in the flat, cooking the evening meal and vacuuming and dusting. She thinks that climbing up and down the stairs so often is also helping her leg to get back some of its strength. Once a week they go back to Bernie’s so they can check her post and she can pick up some clothes. Slowly, her treasured items are moved into Serena’s attic flat. Bernie’s medications in the bathroom cabinet by Serena’s beauty lotions. Bernie’s clothes in their own drawer which Serena has cleared for her. Cameron’s bowl on the kitchen floor next to Jason’s. Bernie never finds out if the boiler in her flat was fixed because she’s too busy enjoying the warmth which Serena’s flat offers. She thinks the warmth she feels when she’s with Serena is more than just the heating.

Four months after Serena first asked Bernie to stay over, Bernie gets a call on her mobile. It’s a Sunday afternoon and they’re on the sofa together, Bernie’s socked feet in Serena’s lap balancing a novel which the bookseller is reading. She furrows her brow as she speaks down the receiver and bites her lip as she hangs up.  
“Everything okay?” Serena asks, stroking the arch of Bernie’s foot.  
“My landlord. I, um. I’ve not yet paid the next sixth months of rent so he was asking me to do it by the end of next week or move out.” Serena sits up, placing the book on the coffee table.  
“So move out. You said yourself that he’s a terrible landlord!”  
“Um, where do I move to?” Bernie knows where she wants to live but daren’t hope that this arrangement can continue forever. Serena looks insulted.  
“Here, Bernie! You’ve practically been living here for months anyway! Where did you think I was going to say? Australia?”  
“I, um.” Bernie mumbles something into her jumper.  
“You what?” Serena’s voice is challenging. Bernie looks up through her fringe.  
“I didn’t dare hope you’d want to keep me around.”  
“Why ever not?”  
“I’ll only get in the way. I mean what if Elinor comes back to visit, or, or, you have a, um.” Bernie takes a deep breath and addresses the issue which keeps fuelling her anxiety. “What if you want to bring someone back? A, erm, date?” Bernie watches as Serena’s face flits through multiple emotions before settling on fondness.  
“Oh, Bernie you fool.” She shifts sideways so she can touch Bernie’s cheek with her fingertips. “We’ve practically been dating for months. The only person I want to come home to is you.”

Bernie’s breath hitches at Serena’s revelation before she realises Serena has pressed their lips together and then that’s all she can focus on. For once she, Major Berenice Griselda Wolfe, has managed to get everything she wants in one perfect package.

Two years later finds Bernie sat at the counter in Serenity, giving a customer change and wishing them a lovely day whilst recommending a similar book she thinks they may like. She’s now more well-read than she ever thought she’d be but is thankful for the fact. Serena appears from the children’s mezzanine level where she has been hanging some promotional bunting for a small signing event they’ve got coming up with a local author. Cameron looks up from his dog bed by the counter and acknowledges her with a snuffle before he closes his eyes again. Bernie leans across the counter to peck her on the lips.

A young woman in overalls enters the shop, paintbrush tucked into her pocket and bandana protecting her messy orange hair.  
“All done,” she smiles brightly. Serena hands over the appropriate cheque.  
“Thank you Charlotte,” Serena adds. Charlotte, a regular into the shop, is a painter and artist and Serena has had her rejuvenating the bookshop’s sign. Charlotte pockets the cheque and heads off out, dropping a wink to Serena as she goes.

Serena tugs on Bernie’s hand and they exit the shop to look up at her handiwork. Serenity is all it says in a swirling font, alongside a small note in capital letters claiming INDEPENDENT BOOKSELLERS proudly. Bernie looks at it for a moment then turns to Serena.  
“Independent booksellers?” The singular bookseller is now plural and the occasion feels rather momentous.  
“Well, I did marry you, Wolfe. Figured we may as well make ourselves official in all areas of our life, hm?” She squeezes Bernie’s fingers and Bernie looks down at their joined hands with matching gold bands glinting in the low afternoon sunlight.  
“Thank you,” is all she can say because standing on the pavement looking up at her home beside her wonderful wife, she feels emotions that she’s not sure any author of any book could ever capture perfectly. Finally though, Bernie’s found the new story she was always looking for. And, looking at Serena, Bernie knows it’s one she’s never going to put down.

The End.

**Author's Note:**

> Guess where I was when I got this idea? You guessed it - in a bookstore.


End file.
